One of the great debates amongst many hiring managers is the importance of a candidate’s skill sets versus cultural fit. Quite a few of you will probably lean more toward prioritizing skill sets. However, a new hire with the ideal skill set but no cultural fit can be detrimental not only to your team but to your business.
Let’s take a look at the differences, the pros and cons, of hiring a candidate first based only on skill set versus a candidate that is hired based only on cultural fit.
Table of contents
Candidate Screening: Skill Set vs. Culture Fit
Key Takeaways
- Cultural Fit Matters: A candidate that aligns culturally with your team and organization will often outperform someone with a great skill set but poor team compatibility.
- Skills Can Be Trained: Technical skills can often be taught allowing for some flexibility when hiring based on skills, while an applicant’s attitude and cultural fit are more difficult to change, making cultural alignment a huge priority.
- Balance is Ideal: Ideally, you want a mix of both skills and cultural fit, but when forced to choose between the two, hiring for cultural fit more often leads to more productive and successful hires.
Hiring a Candidate Based on Skill Set Only
In my hiring experience, I have fallen into the trap of hiring for skill set with no regard towards cultural fit. As a hiring manager pressed with limited time for training, it can be very tempting to hire someone you believe can “hit the ground running” with little to no training. However, regardless of the amount of experience or skill level, every new hire will require some form of training.
In the past, I have hired candidates with high skill level, only to find that I have added someone who does not fit in with my team or company culture. Believe me, these are not easy situations to deal with as it is nearly impossible to make this kind of situation workout. While you can often train someone to develop new skills, it is not always possible to alter someone’s attitude or cultural fit.
An employee can have all the skill set and smarts in the world, but that doesn’t mean that he will add team value. The damage that one negative person can do to your team is unbelievable. This person can affect the entire team’s attitude and drive, costing your company time and money.
Hiring a Candidate Based on Cultural Fit Only
In my opinion and experience, I believe that cultural fit is of great importance when it comes to hiring for a successful team.
Quite often, in my hiring experience, there were times when I would hire someone lacking a full skill set due to their great potential to fit in with my team. As long as the individual had the drive and ability to learn, I found that I had greater success rather than with someone with high skill level and zero cultural fit.
Having the opportunity to train someone according to your specific way of business and company culture is often the best way to go. With these new hires, you have no old habits to break when you are able to lay the foundation of their initial training.
I have noticed in the past that the track record and success of my employees who were hired for cultural fit versus skill set were often the ones who were the most successful. These employees went the furthest in the business and industry.
Hanging in the Hiring Balance: Skill Set and Cultural Fit
In a perfect world, you would hire a candidate with some skill set and a great cultural fit. However, when this is not possible, I encourage you to consider candidates who will mesh well with your culture first.
Interested in exploring the behavioral competencies of your applicants to hire candidates that are a better overall skill and cultural fit for your organization? Explore Spark Hire’s Predictive Talent Assessment and book a demo today for a one-on-one demonstration of our hiring software.
Want to learn more about behavioral assessments for your organization?
Contact Spark Hire today to learn more!
